Fiber barrel



April 1935- H. A. EGGERSS 1,998,312

FIBER BARREL Filed May 1, 1931 INVENTOR. flaws A fyyzrss.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 16, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 50mins.

My invention relates to fiber barrels. It has to do particularly with barrels'that are formed primarily of such material as fiber board, pulp board, paper or straw board, although it is not necessarily limited thereto.

In the past, such barrels as have been made of fiber board or similar material have been ordinarily provided with heads of wood. It has been the custom to maintain these wooden heads in place, at least partially, by driving nails through the fiber board and into the wooden head. Sometimes, metal hoops of angular cross-section have been used to reenforce the joints thus formed. At best, these joints have been comparatively weak and it has usually been necessary to make the heads of soft wood to facilitate nailing.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a fiber barrel of such a structure that the heads will be more strongly held in position than 29 was hitherto possible.

Another object of this invention is to provide a fiber barrel structure which is of such a nature that nailing may be dispensed with and, consequently, the heads may be made of any desirable material and may be of any desired degree of hardness.

Another object of this invention is to provide a fiber barrel of such structure which may have one end closed at the factory and may have the other end closed by the user thereof with a minimum of difliculty.

My invention preferably takes the form of a fiber barrel having a body portion which is substantially cylindrical throughout and which is mainly of fiber, though it is reenforced at its end by heavy gauged steel. This heavy gauged steel is applied to each end of the cylindrical body portion of fiber and, then, both the steel and fiber are bent into such embracing relation to the barrel head that this barrel head will be firmly held in position so that the joint thereby formed will be proof against all shocks to which it will be subjected in the uses to which the barrel may be put.

r The preferred embodiment of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawing wherein similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation partially in section, of a barrel embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section taken through a bottom corner of my assembled barrel structure.

Figure a is a'section taken through an upper corner of my barrel structure after the head has been placed thereon but before it has been secured in position.

Figure 5 is a detail in section similar to Figure 4 but showing the barrel head secured in position. 5

In the drawing, I have shown a barrel structure comprising a body portion l which may be constituted ocf fiber, pulp board, paper or straw board. This body portion is preferably of cylindrical form and produced in any desired manner, being 10 preferably constructed of several plies of material.

At the upper and lower corners of the cylindrical member i are provided hoop-like enclosures 2 and 3 of heavy gauge steel with hook-shaped 15 extensions comprising flanges 4 and 5 and 6 and l, respectively, which snugly embrace the edges of the cylindrical fiber member.

Barrel heads 8 and 9 are provided for each end of the structure and these heads may be formed of wood, as shown, of any degree of hardness or may be formed of any other selected material of sufiicient rigidity such as fiber or like materials. They are preferably provided with V-shaped edges l0 and H.

As illustrated in Figure 3, the lower end of the cylindrical body portion, together with the hooplike member 2, are bent as a unit so that they embrace the V-like edge of the head 8. This bending is effected in such a way that the flange 5 and the portion I2 of the hoop-like member 2, with the lower edge of the cylindrical fiber member are substantially parallel with the bottom of the barrel head. They support this bottom of the barrel head and are of unusual strength and effectiveness in so doing by the fact that they constitute three plies of material integrally connected to the side walls of the structure.

Likewise, the combined fiber member and hoop-like member are so bent that they further support the barrel head by means of a diagonal flange comprising the fiber portion l3 and the metal portion it, these portions lying snugly beneath the upwardly and outwardly inclined surface l5 of the barrel head. The combined fiber portion and the lower hoop-like member 2 are further bent inwardly and upwardly to form portions l6 and I1, respectively, which extend upwardly and inwardly along the upwardly and inwardly extending surface l8 of the barrel head.

In the formation of the bend of the material at l6 and I1, there is produced in the exterior of the hoop-like member and the fiber member an annular groove l9. This adds further strength to the structure. Fm'thermore, it may be supple- 2 1,9es,s1a

mented by a tension wire 20 fitting therein and extending entirely around the barrel, if desired.

The upper end of the barrel structure may be produced in substantially the same way. However, it is customary to provide the combined hoop-like member 3 and the associated portion of the cylindrical fiber member with a bend comprising the fiber portion 2| and the metal portion 22 which forms a seat for the upper barrel head which may be placed therein at the time of closing. At this time, the parts are initially positioned as shown in Figure 4. The closing is completed by bending the parts to the position shown in Figure 5, though it will be understood that the upper edge of the combined fiber and metal structure need only be bent to the position of Figure 5 at a plurality of spaces around the circumference of the barrel head.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, a tension wire 23 may be utilized for further reenforcing the end of the barrel structure. However, it will be understood that the wires 20 and 23 may be dispensed with entirely if desired.

It will be noted that I have produced a fiber barrel of extremely rigid structure, particularly at the ends or corners thereof where rigidity and strength are most needed. It will further be seen that the barrel heads are held in position entirely by the embracing action of the combined fiber and metal ends of the barrel. These combined portions are bent simultaneously, preferably while the fiber material is still moist as the result of its initial formation. The V-shaped edges of the barrel head fit snugly within the embracing fiber and metal portions and, since the metal is preferably of heavy gauge steel, a structure of unusual strength is produced. Furthermore, the flange produced by the metal parts 4, 5 and I! with the interposed fiber edge is disposed directly beneath the barrel head and ade-, quately resist any tendency towards accidental expulsion of the barrel head. Likewise, this fiange structure is fiat on its outer side so that the barrels may be readily stacked and will not be subject to undesirable tilting.

It will be obvious that the structure which I have produced is of ample strength and renders unnecessary the use of nails for holding the barrel heads in position. when the fiber body portion dries, it shrinks and produces an even stronger gripping of the barrel head, although this is not absolutely necessary to eflectual retention of the barrel heads.

In the use of the term "fiber barrels", it will be understood that I intend to include fiber drums. Therefore, this description and claims should be read with this understanding.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A barrel structure comprising a substantially cylindrical body portion made of fiber board or the like, a band of metal enclosing the end of said body portion, said band of metal being bent around the extreme end of said body portion in such a manner that it will extend inwardly along the outer surface of said body portion a considerable distance but will extend inwardly along the inner surface of said body portion only a comparatively short distance, a barrel head having a V-shaped edge and adapted to be inserted in the end of said body portion, said metal band and said fiber body portion being bent in such a manner that a V-shaped continuous circumferential rib, which extends inwardly from the side wall ofsaid body portion, is formed for supporting the inner surface of said V-shaped edge of said barrel head, the forming of said internal V-shaped rib being also adapted to produce a continuous circumferential V-shaped external groove in horizontal alignment therewith,

said band of metal and said body portion being also bent in such a manner that an inwardly projecting extremity is formed for supporting the outer surface of said V-shaped edge of said barrel head so that a complete continuous circumferential v-shaped internal groove is formed for receiving the V-shaped edge of said barrel head, the forming of said V-shaped internal groove being also adapted to produce an external V-shaped continuous circumferential rib, said external rib being disposed directly above said external groove and in'horizontal alignment with said internal groove, the outermost extremity of said external rib being in substantial alignment with the side wall of said body portion, and said metal band terminating on the inner surface of said body portion at such a point that the main contact will be between said fiber body portion and said barrel head.

2.A barrel structure comprising a body portion made of fiber board or the like, a band of metal enclosing the end of said body portion, said band of metal being bent around the extreme end of said body portion in such a manner that it will extend-inwardly along the outer surface of said body portion a considerable distance but will extend inwardly along the inner surface of said body portion only a comparatively short distance, a barrel head adapted to be inserted in the end of ,said body portion, said metal band and said fiber body portion being bent in such a manner that a continuous circumferential rib, which extends inwardly from the side walls of said body portion, is formed for supporting the inner surface of said barrel head, the forming of said internal rib being also adapted to produce a continuous circumferential external groove in hori- 'zontal alignment therewith, said band of metal and said body portion being also bent in such a manner that an inwardly projecting extremity is formed for supporting the outer surface of said barrel head so that a complete continuous cirouter surface of the side wallof said body portion; and said metal band terminating on the inner surface of said body portion at such a point that the main contact will be between said fiber body portion and said barrel head.

3. A barrel structure comprising a body portion made of fiber board or the like, a band of metal enclosing the end of said body portion, a barrel head adapted to be inserted in the end of said body portion, said metal band and said fiber body portion being bent in such a manner that a continuous circumferential rib, which extends inwardly from the side wall of said body portion, is formed for supporting the inner surface of said barrel head, the forming of said internal rib being also adapted to produce a continuous circumferential external groove, said band of metal and said bodyportion being also bent in such a manner that an inwardly projecting extremity is formed for supporting the outer surface of said barrel head so that a complete continuous circumferential internal groove is formed for receiving the edge of said barrel head, the forming of said internal groove being also adapted to produce an external continuous circumferential rib, the outermost extremity of said external rib lying within the outer surface of the side wall of said body portion.

4. A barrel structure comprising a body portion made of fiber board or the like, a barrel head adapted to be inserted in the end of said body portion, said body portion being bent in such a manner that a rib, which extends inwardly from the side wall of said body portion, is formed for preventing inward movement of said barrel head, the forming of said internal rib being also adapted to produce an external groove, said body portion being also bent in such a manner that a complete internal groove is formed for receiving and embracing the edge of said barrel head directly above said; internal rib, the forming of said internal groove being also adapted to produce an external rib, the outermost extremity of said external rib lying substantially in alignment with the side wall of said body portion.

5. A barrel structure comprising a body portion made of fiber board or the like, said body portion being made as a single unit, a metal band surrounding the outer periphery of said body portion at the end thereof overlapping such end and extending into overlapping relation to the inner periphery thereof, a barrel head adapted to be inserted in the end of said body portion, said body portion with the surrounding metal band being bent in such a manner that there is formed a continuous rib which extends inwardly from the side wall of said body portion and supports and prevents inward movement of said barrel head, the end of said body portion with the surrounding metal band being bent inwardly in such a manner that it cooperates with said rib to form a complete and endless internal groove for receiving and embracing the edge of said barre head.

HANS A. EGGERSS. 

